If your personal property has been damaged, or you have been injured, and you believe the SA Housing Trust (the Trust) is at fault you should refer to this guide.

The information below is provided for reference only and is not an admission of liability. The Trust considers any claim made to us on its individual merits.

What to consider

  • The Trust does not insure the property of tenants or other people.
  • The Trust is not responsible for damage or loss simply because an incident occurred at a Trust property.
  • If you want the Trust to consider your claim, you need to tell us why you believe that the Trust is liable, including how the Trust has breached its duty of care to you.
  • If you submit a claim this does not mean that we will pay the claim. We will assess your claim against our legal obligations to pay.
  • If you have your own insurance, it may be more favourable for you to make a claim on your insurance policy. In most instances you will receive a benefit (such as new-for-old replacement) which will result in a better outcome for you than what the Trust is legally responsible to pay.
  • If you have suffered an injury, you may wish to obtain independent legal advice before submitting a request for compensation.

Common situations

Below are some common situations and how the Trust responds to them:

SituationResponse
Damage resulting from water leaks from rain or internal pipes. We are not responsible for damage to your personal property unless it was caused by a failure in our duty of care to you. For example, we are not responsible if a water leak caused damage to your property, and we had no reasonable opportunity to fix the issue before the leak occurred.
A tree limb breaks off and causes damage to your property. We are not responsible for damage to your personal property caused by trees unless it was caused by a failure in our duty of care to you. We are not responsible for damage caused by a branch falling from an otherwise healthy tree.
Loss or damage following a power outage at a Trust property. We are not responsible for loss or damage caused by a power outage unless it was caused by a failure in our duty of care to you. You may be eligible to make a claim through SA Power Networks.

What information do you need to provide for us to consider a request for compensation:

  • The name of the person who was injured or who suffered loss,
  • The date of the incident,
  • The address at which the incident or loss or injury occurred,
  • Why you think the Trust SA is responsible for the loss or injury,
  • What you are claiming and the amount of financial loss you have suffered,
  • All relevant documentation to support your request, such as photos, quotations, invoices, medical certificates, medical, records, police reports or any other information you consider relevant.
  • If you are acting on behalf of the Claimant you will need to seek their approval to do so. If you have not sought their approval you can – 
    • If you are a SA Housing Trust customer use your Housing Connect account to complete the online third-party consent, or  
    • download and complete the "Consent for the SA Housing Trust SA to share your information with another person or organisation form". Download (PDF document / Word document) and
    • include a copy of the signed Consent form with your claim submission. You will be able to upload a copy of the signed Consent form with the online lodgement process.
    • Read more about Consent to share personal information

How to lodge a request for compensation

  1. Online using the Request for Compensation form.  
    1. Note: When filling out the online form you will be asked to upload any evidence you may have in support of your request for compensation. You can upload up to 5 files – file formats allowed (documents and images/photos) Word, Excel, rtf, jpg, png, pdf.
  2. Attend in person at your nearest SA Housing Trust local or regional office. Find your nearest SA Housing Trust location
    1. fill out the form online, or
    2. ask for a fillable form.
  3. By Post
    1. Download and fill out a form, or write a letter, and post back to SA Housing Trust  - Attention: Insurance Services, GPO Box 1669, ADELAIDE SA 5001

How to Contact us

  1. Enquiries can be made by email to: HousingInsuranceServices@sa.gov.au ✉
  2. Attend in person at your nearest SA Housing Trust local or regional office. Find your nearest SA Housing Tust location